Lilholt Family Photos (Part 1)

All of these pictures come from the original photos provided by Poul and Inger Lilholt when they visited Toronto from Hirtshals in October 1999 for Jørgen Lilholt's 75th birthday surprise party. They got them from Poul's mother Karen (Jensen) Lilholt. The photos on this page were loose, not pasted onto any pages of a photobook.

These pictures (in Part 1) are numbered from 1 to 55. For details on how to use these pictures and files, click here. You can also see Part 2.

The descriptions associated with each picture came from discussions with Inger, Poul, Jørgen and Anne one evening in Oakville in 1999.

In the table below, if you click on the thumbnail (small image at the left), you will get a full screen view of that picture. To return to this list of photos and descriptions after seeing the picture, press the "Back" arrow for your Browser.

Thumbnail Description

#001: Jørgen Jensen, father of Karen Jensen who married Søren Lilholt. He lived in Vidstrup. Jørgen Abraham Lilholt was named after him.

#002: This is Farmor (Karen, who married Søren Lilholt) and her mother (Mette Marie Jensen). On Karen's birth certificate (dåbsattest) the mother is named Jette Marie Sørensen. She died 10/9/1896 in Vidstrup (born in 1871) and is buried as Gjertrud Marie Jensen born Sørensen. This information comes from the church books and can also be seen that on the stone on the churchyard. Kind of strange and a matter that needs investigation! Karen had no brothers or sisters and her mother died when she was about 2 years old.

#003: Jørgen Jensen and his wife Mette Marie. Their daughter Karen married Søren Lilholt. This photo was probably taken around 1890, about when they were married, and before Karen was born.

#004: Mette Marie Jensen when she was younger, perhaps even before she was married.

#005: Jørgen Jensen, who married Mette Marie, when he was younger. He seems to be wearing a military uniform of some sort.

#006: Søren Lilholt. His son Jørgen looks a lot like him. On the back of the photo it says "Far far ? ? Søren Lilholt".

#007: Neilsine (Signe) Sørenson or Rishøj. The Mormon records said Sørenson but Poul and Inger said Rishøj - need to confirm. She looks a lot like her daughter Olga. She died during a train ride on the way to Jørgen's christening in 1924. She and Abraham Lilholt had 9 children. On the back of the photo it says "far far mor".

#008: The man on the left is Søren Lilholt. The seated man may be his cousin Søren Rishøj, the son of Neilsine's brother. These two attended agricultural college together.

#009: Signe and Abraham Lilholt

#010: A wonderful picture of Abraham Lilholt. He was the youngest son in the family and therefore did not inherit the Lilholt farm, so he started one of his own.

#011: Abraham and Signe Lilholt with many of their family around them. Across the back row from left to right: Søren, Anders, Ejner, Marius and Olga. Across the front row from left to right: Søster (Karen), Abraham with Cajus in front of him, Maren, Johanna, Signe and Åge.

#012: Karen (Jensen) and Søren Lilholt. Karen died in 1981 and Søren in 1962.

#013: When Karen Jensen was younger, she left home for a while to attend a school in Sjælland that taught what we would now call "home economics". This was a very radical notion at the time! Karen is the dark-haired woman just behind and to the right of the row of 4 seated ladies in white at the front.

#014: In the back row from left to right are Anders and Søren Lilholt. Not sure who the others are but they may be members of the Rams family who lived on the farm beside Abraham Lilholt.

#015: The 4 daughters of Abraham and Signe. From left to right are Maren, Olga, Johanna and Søster (Karen).

#016: On the back of the photo it says "Faster Olga med Gunnar og Jørgen" and that's who it is. Gunnar is on the left.

#017: On the back of the photo it says "Gunnar, Lise, Jørgen", viewing from left to right.

#018: The only documentary evidence that Gunnar and Jørgen were EVER able to fit in one barrel together - or alone!

#019: This was Abraham's last farm. When Signe died, they were living in Fyn and Abraham was very saddened at her death. He moved back to north Jutland and bought this farm. On the back of the photo it says "Ny Hvidegaard". The house is still there, but as Hjørring has grown, it has absorbed farms like this which were once on the outskirts. At one point the town used the building as a centre for planning in case of emergencies.

#020: This is labelled "Möllerlund i Ejbyrg pa Fyn". It was Abraham's first home in Fyn and it is still standing. They only lived there for 2-3 years before going back up to Hjørring. The sign above the front door says: Mollerlund.

#021: This farm was called "Ostergaard" and it is in Ajstrup close to Hjørring. The picture was probably taken in about 1924 or 1925 since that is where Jørgen was born and they sold the farm a year later. On the back of the photo it says: "farmor og farfar gard i Ajstrup".

#022 Front: This is the front of a postcard showing the harbour in Hirtshals ("molen" means "pier"). Poul and Inger's house in Hirtshals was built in 1943. This postcard is taken before that, so the house is not in the picture, but the lot the house is built on is up on the hill at the right edge of the picture. The next photo is the writing from the back of the postcard.

#022 Back: This is the writing on the back on the postcard shown in the previous picture. It is from Søren to his father Abraham in Bjergby. It says "Hospital 6/12 Dear parents. I don't know if I am able to raise from bed, but I am able to sit quietly. I am not allowed to walk at all. I need a pair of stockings - one of the boys [Ed: most likely his brothers] might bring them to me. Love Søren." The stamp is for 3 øre and it looks like the date on the postmark is 6.12.10.

#023: This picture was taken in about 1983 of a farm that Abraham used to own. It was called "Lundsgaard" and it was in Balslev on Fyn. The man in the picture was the owner at the time and he recalled knowing the Lilholt family that lived there.

#024: Another picture of Lundsgaard from about 1983.

#025: This is another farm that Abraham once owned. It is called "Lykkegaard" and it is in Baarind on Fyn.

#026: Another picture of Lykkegaard.

#027: The gravestone of Johanna Kristine Lilholt on Fyn where the family lived for about 12 years. She died at the age of 14 from pneumonia.

#028: Karen Jensen is the young woman standing in the middle, dressed in white. We don't know who the 3 others are, but they seem to look somewhat alike and may be just friends of Karen.

#029: This farm in Vidstrup belonged to Jørgen Jensen and it is where Karen grew up. It was not a full-time working farm, but rather more of a "hobby farm", or "husmansgaard". This is a typical structure with the barn on the left and the house meeting it at right angles. On the back of the photo it says: "Mit Barndamsbyem i Vidstrup" or "My home in Vidstrup".

#030 Back: This is the back of a postcard. The front has a picture of a flag on top of a rock. This postcard is written to Abraham and Signe Lilholt from Signe's brother Niels Riishøj and it says: "Dear brother-in-law and sister. Thanks for the letter. I will arrange all with Søren Rams Silverwedding. If possibly you wish to go to Bjergby immediately after arriving in Hjørring, I will be delighted to pick you up in Hjørring at the train station. We are very busy these days making a new dung hill, and it is about time to get root crops home. Many kind regards, hoping to see you in November. Niels Riishøj and family." This postcard has a 15 øre stamp on it and is dated 15.20.20.

#031 Back: This is the back of a postcard. The front says "Silkeborg Sanatoriet". It was sent to Abraham Anderson from his son Marius. Marius had a grocery store on Lilholtsgade in Hirtshals. It says: "Silkeborg 21/2/06. Dear family. I can inform you that I have arrived in the sanitory last Monday, and I am fine. Kind regards, Marius Andersen." Possibly Marius before they changed their surname to Lilholt (as in the farm and the street in Hirtshals). The hand-writing seems particularly good for Marius who would have been 9 years old at the time, so he may have had help. The postage on 21-2-06 was 5 øre.

#032 Back: This is the back of a postcard. The front says "Norresundby Pontonbroen". It was sent to Abraham Lilholt but describes him by title as an important farmer. We have not translated this one, as we don't know who wrote it, and it is difficult to read. The postage was 5 øre and the postmark says 3-4-09.

#033: This graveyard in Vidstrup is not there any more. The stone at the top left is for Jørgen Jensen. The stone in the middle is Jørgen Jensens father Niels Chr. Jensen and his wife Mette Marie Jensen (she is the one that actually raised our Farmor (Karen) because her own mother died when she was only two years old. She slept with this grandmother till she was 10 or 12 years old). The stone to the right is Gjertrud Marie Jensen (born Sørensen). On the back of the picture it says "Vidstrup Kirkegaard Oktober 1989".

#034: Johanna Lilholt, daughter of Abraham and Signe.

#035: The man on the right is Anders Lilholt, but we're not sure who the dapper fellow on the left is!

#036: Standing on the left is Inger-Lise and seated is her brother Ulrich, 2 children of Marius and Ebba Lilholt.

#037: From left to right, these 3 young ladies are Maren and Søster (Karen) - see how they are dressed alike? - but we don't know who the 3rd young lady is.

#038: These two young ladies in pyjamas are Maren on the left and Søster (Karen) on the right.

#039: Not sure who these men are, but from the way they are standing is seems like it is Søren standing in front of the haystack, and it might be Marius on the right "supervising". The third man is not clear.

#040: These are 2 fine young men dressed up! The one on the right looks like a Lilholt, probably one of Søren's brothers, but it is not Marius. The other young man (in the glasses) may be a friend of his.

#041: 3 boys standing together in front of a house door - Unknown.

#042: This is Søster (Karen) with 2 children of Marius and Ebba: Grethe standing and Tage on the chair.

#043: Søren is riding the bicycle down the main street of Hjørring

#044: This is Olga with 2 children of Marius and Ebba: Grethe standing behind and Tage in front.

#045: Boy and girl together looking left - Unknown.

#046: Lise Lilholt holding Poul Lilholt.

#047: Baby in hat and coat with rattle - Unknown.

#048: Baby in white coat - Unknown, may be the baby of one of the neighbours?

#049: Young man in tie and kerchief - Unknown.

#050: This happy baby is Eric, the son of Maren Lilholt, and he lives in Gaardstrup.

#051: Søster (Karen) Lilholt.

#052: The picture is blurry so it is hard to tell, but it may be Jørgen on the left and Gunnar on the right, and we can't tell the other two.

#053: This looks like Gunnar Lilholt, but what is he doing - catching little fish?

#054: This is Maren Lilholt doing gymnastics with her two nephews Jørgen (on top) and Gunnar (in front).

#055: This looks like a family group - some children of Abraham and Signe. The girl on top is Søster (Karen) and beside her is Maren. The boy on the left might be Anders, in the middle is Ejner and on the right might be Cajus.